The Brief History of the Dead

All residents of the City have recently died, and they will remain in the City only as long as someone still living on Earth remembers them. On Earth, however, the population has been devastated by a terrible pandemic. Laura Byrd, isolated at an Antarctic research station, may be the only person to have survived the pandemic. But she's running out of time and supplies, and her memories are fading.

I really enjoyed this book! The concept is facinating and had me from the beginning. However, the ending was disappointing, and felt like the film at the movie theater just broke and no one was around to splice it back together. The characters were rich and there was just the right amount of descriptive detail.

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life.

When I read the description of this book, I was expecting a novel that would be similar to "The Day After Tomorrow" - a novel depicting the science and catastrophy of the slowing of the earth's rotation, with action-packed scenes of survival and dealing with the unexpected. Instead, I got a novel about a girl and her relationships, with the earth's slowing as the backdrop. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

In my opinion, the critics review of the book was grossly inaccurate and exagerrated.

The narrator was fine and did a nice job of telling the story that was written.

The Road

America is a barren landscape of smoldering ashes, devoid of life except for those people still struggling to scratch out some type of existence. Amidst this destruction, a father and his young son walk, always toward the coast, but with no real understanding that circumstances will improve once they arrive. Still, they persevere, and their relationship comes to represent goodness in a world of utter devastation.

The story is "cold", "grey", and full of "ash", but it is a story of perseverence. In a situation with little to no hope, you find yourself asking the characters why they are continuing. But if you are a parent (or an eternal optimist), you will understand. Despite little knowledge about the situation leading up to the story, you find yourself engrossed in an apocolyptic time that is believeable and convincing. The ending was a bit disappointing to me. If you are interested in this story, may I recommend "A Brief History of the Dead". Enjoy!

The Last Lecture

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" - wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have... and you may find one day that you have less than you think").

This was a wonderful book. Although the theme is depressing (he is dying), his outlook on the life he has had, and has left, is inspiring. After listening to this book, I have decided to start journaling. Hey....you never know. Life is definately short and unpredictable. If you have ever heard Randy speak, you will appreciate the narrator, as he makes you feel that Randy is speaking directly to you. A definate recommendation.

False Memory

It's a fear more paralyzing than falling. More terrifying than absolute darkness. More horrifying than anything you can imagine. It's the one fear you cannot escape, no matter where you run...no matter where you hide. It's the fear of yourself. It's real. It can happen to you. And facing it can be deadly.

I loved this novel! If you like Koontz, you know he is a stickler for detail. Well, depite a few lagging moments in Part 1, the book was a rollercoster. As with most of Koontz's works, he makes you think, "Could this happen to me?". I would highly recommend this book.

Don't let the title distract you from this book. This is a MUST listen! Rob Bell states it clearly and simply, and is so refreshing in the process, you find yourself asking, "Where has he been all this time?". Rob gets you thinking about faith in real, practical ways and terms - none of that christianesse here. I find myself listening to this book over and over again, each time, discovering new nuggets. I cannot begin to tell you how many people I have recommended this book to. If this book doesn't challenge you and give you the freedom to wrestle with God, I don't know what will.

Velocity

Bill Wile is an easygoing, hardworking guy who leads a quiet, ordinary life. But that is about to change. One evening, after his usual eight-hour bartending shift, he finds a typewritten note under the windshield wiper of his car.

I was only recently introduced to Koontz. "Velocity" is the second book of his I have listened to. I thought it was fantastic! I caught myself gasping out loud and caught in the spiderweb of decision-making the author spun. I would absolutely recommend this book. I do agree with some of the reviewers that Koontz gets a bit carried away with the minutia of detail, and this can distract from the story at times, but the plot always snapped me back from daydreaming.

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